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Commentary: Saban must tighten discipline grip at Alabama

Alabama defensive back Cyrus Jones (5) walks off the field after the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Thursday January 1, 2015.(Photo: Mickey Welsh)

Alabama coach Nick Saban needs to spend less time on the Crimson Caravan and golf courses and more time with his team.

He's got a major problem on his hands that's growing by the arrest.

Crimson Tide senior cornerback Cyrus Jones became the fifth Alabama player to be arrested this year as he was charged early Wednesday morning on two counts of third-degree domestic violence in Tuscaloosa.

Fifth player. Just think about that for a minute.

Jones is the third player arrested for domestic violence with Jonathan Taylor and Ryan Anderson being the other two. Tyren Jones was charged with marijuana possession and Geno Smith was arrested for his second DUI since 2013.

Saban can't follow every player around, but what he can do is send a more forceful message to the players that there will be serious and swift consequences for getting arrested, especially for domestic violence. It's become increasingly clear his players aren't scared or too concerned about getting in trouble because they continue to find themselves at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

The latest incident involving Jones further justifies not just the SEC, but the NCAA, to take action and establish code-of-conduct standards student-athletes must abide by or else face serious consequences.

Can't leave this in the university's hands anymore. Whatever Saban and the Crimson Tide are doing to guard against their players from getting in trouble isn't working. Saban will likely suspend Jones and wait for the legal process to play out, but his program appears to be out of control.

I've interacted with Jones for the last two years during interviews. Even seen him outside of those situations. He's never been a problem, but his latest action is a part of growing problem at Alabama that Saban needs to better address.

Now Saban did kick Taylor (domestic violence) and tailback Tyren Jones (marijuana) off the team after their arrests, but Smith should have been dismissed, too, after the second DUI charge. He allegedly put the lives of others at risk by driving under the influence.

I understand Saban believes Smith's a good kid, but wrong is wrong. You can internally discipline him all day, but when you keep a player who has done what Smith has, a teammate can view that and think he'll remain on the team if he gets in trouble, especially if he is of value to the team.

Saban should have never given Taylor an opportunity in the first place. Taylor was kicked out of the University of Georgia following two arrests with the second being for aggravated assault/family violence in July of last year.

The UGA police said evidence and witness accounts said the 6-foot, 4-inch, 300-plus pound Taylor "choked" his 170-pound girlfriend and hit her "with a closed fist."

Saban didn't have to add him, but he did. He said it was a university decision, but without his stamp of approval, Taylor doesn't wind up in Tuscaloosa. Saban has said he was giving Taylor an opportunity, but by doing so, that could have sent the wrong message to players that talent overrides bad behavior.

So the lady recanting her story about her allegations against Taylor doesn't erase the fact he had already been in trouble, and that Saban made a mistake by even going down the road with Taylor. So what other SEC schools were pursuing him.

This is Alabama. The SEC standard. Take a higher ground.

Then when Saban was unapologetic for giving Taylor a chance, that didn't help matters. Domestic violence was a serious problem way before the Ray Rice situation, but the video of him dropping his now wife in the elevator shed national light on it.

So to have three arrests for domestic violence since is alarming. Saban doesn't condone domestic violence, but he's got to tighten the discipline grip on his players to greater guard against them finding themselves in that predicament.

When Anderson was arrested in January, the police report stated he kicked a woman's car and a woman keyed and threw coins at Anderson's vehicle. On the surface, it looks like an argument that got heated, but what you must consider on this is what would have happened had it really gotten out of hand.

The reason you're taught right from wrong is to prevent you from doing something. The best way to stay out of trouble is to avoid it. That's been a problem at Alabama as of late, and Saban needs to get a firmer grasp on all of this.